Forend-mounted heatshield arrangement for firearms

ABSTRACT

A mounting arrangement for a firearm having a receiver, a barrel and a magazine tube includes an elongated heatshield body having a set of mounting feet provided thereon. A forend assembly includes a U-shaped forend body and a U-shaped bracket arrangement received and retained within the forend body for receiving the magazine tube and connecting the mounting feet to the forend assembly such that an entire length of the heatshield body is mounted in a continuous spaced floating relationship over the barrel to prevent any contact between the heatshield body and the barrel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates generally to firearm accessories and moreparticularly, pertains to a heatshield mounting arrangement provided fora barrel of a firearm or weapon.

It is well known to those skilled in the art that rapid-fire weapons,such as semi-automatic or automatic rifles and shotguns arecharacterized by the heating of their metal barrels to relatively hightemperatures, often in excess of 600 degrees Fahrenheit. At such intensetemperatures, the barrels cannot be comfortably or safely handled by theshooter of the weapon. Various expedients, typically in the form ofheatshield assemblies, have been resorted to in the past in an attemptto protect the hands of the person firing the weapon from harmfulcontact with the excessively hot barrel.

Certain known heatshield assemblies typically include a curved,perforated metallic body having, front and rear tabs, clamps, flanges orother retaining structures which are integrally formed on the body.These integral retaining structures are bent, clamped and secured withadditional fasteners to the metal barrel to mount the heatshieldassembly along substantially the entire length of the barrel. Such knownheatshield assemblies have been designed to allow dissipation of heat toprotect the shooter's hands during the rapid discharging of the firearm.Unfortunately, installation and use of these currently availableheatshield assemblies results in sliding metal-to-metal contact betweenthe heatshield body and the barrel causing possible damage to the barrelwhich is undesirable.

Accordingly, there is a need to provide a heatshield mountingarrangement in which a heatshield body is secured to the firearm in asuspended, floating relationship over the barrel so as to prevent anydirect metal-to-metal contact between the heatshield body and the barreland eliminate any scratching or damage to the barrel. There is anadditional need to provide a firearm heatshield having a forend mountingarrangement which prevents movement of the heatshield body relative tothe barrel dining use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to a heatshield mounting arrangementadapted to be used on a firearm having a receiver, a barrel extendingforwardly of the receiver and a magazine rube extending forwardly fromthe receiver beneath the barrel. The mounting arrangement includes aheatshield body having a retaining structure provided thereon, theheatshield body being adapted to overlie the barrel of a firearm. Aforend assembly includes a forend body adapted to receive the magazinetube, and a bracket arrangement constructed to connect the retainingstructure of the heatshield body to the forend body and adapted to mountthe heatshield body along an entire length thereof in a continuousspaced apart relationship over the barrel.

In the heatshield mounting arrangement., the bracket arrangement isreceived and retained within the forend body, and the heatshield bodyextends upwardly from the forend assembly. The retaining structure ofthe heatshield body includes a set of mounting feet extending frombottom edges of the heatshield body. The forend body has a U-shapedconstruction, and a length which is shorter than a length of theheatshield body. Upper ends of the forend body are constructed withrecesses for receiving the mounting feet of the heatshield body. Thebracket arrangement includes a set of spaced apart U-shaped brackets.Each of the U-shaped brackets has a bottom wall joined to a lower wallof the forend body, and a pair of spaced apart sidewalls extending fromthe bottom wall. A first set of fasteners is provided to secure thebottom walls of the U-shaped brackets to the lower wall of the forendbody. The sidewalls of the U-shaped brackets have upper ends providedwith throughholes in communication with the recesses formed in the upperends of the forend body. A second set of fasteners is provided to securethe upper ends of the U-shaped brackets with the mounting feet of theheatshield body. Outer surfaces of the U-shaped brackets are engagedagainst an inner surface of the forend body.

The present disclosure also relates to a forend assembly adapted to beused in a heatshield mounting arrangement for mounting a heatshield overa barrel of a firearm. The forend assembly includes an elongatedU-shaped forend body having a lower wall and a pair of spaced apartsidewalls rising from the lower wall, and provided with upper endsadapted to be secured to the heatshield. A U-shaped bracket arrangementis received and retained within the forend body. The U-shaped bracketarrangement has a lower attachment area secured to the lower wall of theforend body, and an upper attachment area aligned with the upper ends ofthe forend body and adapted to be connected to the heatshield.

Upper ends of the forend body extend inwardly of the sidewalls. A firstset of fasteners is provided to secure the lower attachment area of theU-shaped bracket arrangement to the lower wall of the forend body. Asecond set of fasteners is received in the upper attachment area of theU-shaped bracket arrangement and is adapted to secure the heatshieldthereto. The U-shaped bracket arrangement is formed by a set of spacedapart U-shaped brackets having outer surfaces which are engaged againstan inner surface of the forend body.

The present disclosure further relates to a mounting arrangement for afirearm having a receiver, a barrel extending forwardly from thereceiver and a magazine tube extending forwardly from the receiverbeneath the barrel. The mounting arrangement includes an elongatedheatshield body having a set of mounting feet provided thereon. A forendassembly includes a U-shaped forend body and a U-shaped bracket assemblyreceived and retained within the forend body for receiving the magazinetube and connecting the mounting feet to the forend assembly such thatan entire length of the heatshield body is mounted in a continuousspaced floating relationship over the barrel to prevent any contactbetween the heatshield body and the barrel.

A continuous unobstructed space is defined between the barrel and theheatshield body along the entire length thereof. A fastener arrangementis provided for securing the U-shaped bracket arrangement within theforend body, and connecting the mounting feet to upper ends of theforend body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated in carryingout the disclosure. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a shotgun provided with aforend-mounted heatshield in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an exploded top perspective view of the shotgun and theheatshield of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded bottom perspective view of the shotgun and aforend assembly to which the heatshield is mounted;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the shotgun of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the shotgun of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1-7 illustrate a firearm, such as ashotgun 10, incorporating a heatshield mounting arrangement 12 of thepresent disclosure.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, the shotgun 10 typically includes areceiver 14 for receiving and ejecting shotgun cartridges, and a barrel16 extending forwardly from the receiver 14 for guiding and deliveringthe loads of the shotgun cartridges once the shotgun 10 is fired. Aheatshield 18 is sized and shaped to be suspended over an upper portionof the barrel 16 as will be more fully described herein. The barrel 16has a metal construction, and is integrally formed with a dependingbarrel lug 20 and a depending barrel collar 22 (FIG. 3). Acartridge-storing magazine tube 24 extends forwardly from the receiver14 beneath the barrel 16, and passes through the barrel lug 20 and thebarrel collar 22. A forward threaded end of the magazine tube 24 extendsbeyond the barrel lug 20, and is held thereto by a magazine cap 26. Agripping open top forend assembly 28 is provided at rear portions of thebarrel 16 and the magazine tube 24, and a mounting rail device 30 ispositioned around a forward portion of the magazine tube 24 between thebarrel lug 20 and the forend assembly 28. The mounting rail device 30allows a variety of different accessories to be mounted at differentangular positions around the magazine tube 24.

In addition, shotgun 10 also includes a trigger guard 32 and a trigger34. which depend from the receiver 14, and a pistol grip stock assembly36 which extends rearwardly of the receiver 14. The stock assembly 36 isconfigured with a pistol grip 38, a buffer tube 40, a stock 42, acheekrest 44, a lever arrangement 46 and a buttpad assembly 48. A rearsight 50 is secured to an upper portion of the receiver 14, and a frontsight 52 is joined to an upper front end of the barrel 16.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 6 and 7, the heatshield 18 has a heatshieldbody 54 which is constructed of an elongated, perforated and invertedshell which is preferably comprised of anodized aluminum or anothersuitable metal material. The heatshield body 54 is configured with afront end 56 and a rear end 58, and is integrally formed with an arcuateupper wall 60 and a pair of opposed sidewalls 62, 64 depending from theupper wall 60. The sidewalls 62, 64 are formed along the length of theheatshield body 54 with a series of spaced vent openings 66 which extendlaterally outwardly and downwardly from the upper wall 60 to permitairflow through the heatshield 18. Bottom edges of the sidewalls 62, 64are provided with a retaining structure embodied in a first pair ofoutwardly projecting mounting feet 68 located adjacent the rear end 58,and a second pair of outwardly projecting mounting feet 70 located inthe central portion of the heatshield body 54.

As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 7, forend assembly 28 includes an elongatedU-shaped forend body 72, and a bracket arrangement formed by a pair ofspaced apart U-shaped brackets 74, 76 designed to be received andretained within the forend body 72. The thread body 72 is typicallyconstructed of a polymer material, and has a length which is shorterthan a length of the heatshield body 54. The forend body 72 isintegrally formed with an arcuate lower wall 78 and a pair of spacedapart sidewalls 80, 82 having respective spaced upper ends 84. 86 whichextend inwardly of the sidewalls 80, 82 and define an open top. As bestseen in FIG. 2, the upper ends 84, 86 are formed with a first pair ofrecesses 88 located near a rear end 90 of the forend body 72, and asecond pair of recesses 92 spaced towards a front end 94. The recesses88, 92 are configured to receive the mounting feet 68, 70 on theheatshield body 54, and to be supported on lower apertured walls 87 ofthe recesses 88, 92. A portion of the lower wall 78 is preferablyprovided with a non-slip textured coating 96 for improving the grippingability of the forend body 72. The lower wall 78 and coating 96 areformed therethrough with a first pair of apertures 98 adjacent the rearend 90 of forend body 72, and a second pair of apertures 100 spacedforwardly near a front end 94 of the forend body 72.

Each of the U-shaped brackets 74, 76 has an identical construction, andincludes a bottom wall 102 joining a pair of opposed sidewalls 104, 106.Outer surfaces of the brackets 74, 76 are sized and shaped to engage theinner surface of the forend body 72. Each bottom wall 102 is formed witha pair of spaced apart holes 108 which are designed to be aligned withthe apertures 98, 100 provided in the forend body 72. Each of thesidewalls 104, 106 has upper ends 110, 112 formed with respectivethroughholes 114, 116 (FIG. 6) which are alignable with suitableapertures provided in the mounting feet 68, 70 on the heatshield body 54as well as with the recesses 88, 92 of the forend body 72.

A first set of threaded fasteners 118 is designed to be passed throughthe holes 108 in the bottom walls 102 of the U-shaped brackets 74, 76and to be screwthreaded into the apertures 98, 100 formed through thelower wall 78 and coating 96 of the forend body 72. A second set ofthreaded fasteners 120 is designed to be passed through apertures in themounting feet 68, 70 on the heatshield body 54 when the mounting feet68, 70 are received in the recesses 88, 92 of the forend body 72, and tobe screwthreaded into the throughholes 114. 116 of the brackets 74, 76once the brackets 74, 76 are secured to the lower wall 78 of the forendbody 72.

When it is desired to mount the heatshield body 54 on the shotgun 10,the U-shaped brackets 74, 76 are slidably received within the forendbody 72 such that the bracket holes 108 are aligned with the forend bodyapertures 98, 100. The brackets 74, 76 are retained within the forendbody 72 by turning the fasteners 118 into the apertures 98, 100 formedthrough the lower wall 78. The forend assembly 28 is then moved upwardlyand positioned around the barrel collar 22 and the rear portion of themagazine tube 24, and the heatshield body 54 is positioned over the rearportion of the barrel 16 so that the mounting feet 68, 70 are receivedin the recesses 88, 92 at the upper end of the forend body 72.Thereafter, the fasteners 120 are passed through apertures in themounting feet 68, 70 and threaded into the throughholes 114, 116 at theupper ends 110, 112 of the brackets 74, 76 secured to the lower wall 78of the forend body 72.

With this assembly, the lower portion of the magazine tube 24 is engagedby the bottom walls 102 of the U-shaped brackets 74, 76. The sidewalls104, 106 of the brackets 74, 76 extend upwardly spaced from the magazinetube 24, and are engaged with the inner surface of the sidewalls 80, 82of the forend body 72. Upper ends 84, 86 of the forend body 72 lieadjacent lower portions of the barrel 16. The forend body 72 is designedto cover or shield the rear portion of the magazine tube 24, and toshield a lower rear portion of the barrel 16 as seen in FIG. 2. Theentire length of the heatshield body 54 is held continuously spaced fromand suspended in floating relationship over the barrel 16. Theheatshield body 54 is secured to the top of the forend body 72 so as toprevent any movement of the heatshield body 54 relative to the barrel 16during use of the shotgun 10. As seen in FIG. 5, the rear end 90 of theforend body 72 lies adjacent a front edge of the receiver 14, and thefront end 94 of the forend body 72 lies adjacent a rear end of themounting rail device 30.

In accordance with the present disclosure, the heatshield mountingarrangement 12 is defined by the heatshield body 54 having a retainingstructure 68, 70 and the forend assembly 28 including the forend body 72and the bracket arrangement 74, 76 which connects the retainingstructure 68, 70 of the heatshield body 54 to the top end of the forendbody 72. The heatshield mounting arrangement functions to mount theheatshield body 54 along an entire length thereof in a continuous spacedapart, floating relationship over the barrel 16. That is, the mountingarrangement 12 creates a continuous unobstructed space 122 between theouter surface of the barrel 16 and the inner surface of the heatshieldbody 54 over the entire length of the heatshield body 54 so that contactbetween the barrel 16 and the heatshield 18 is prevented. Such a designensures that the metal barrel 16 will not be scratched or damaged, andthat there is no direct transfer of heat from the barrel 16 to theheatshield 18 so that heat is dissipated and cooler ambient air iscommunicated through the vent openings 66 of the floating heatshield 18.

Various alternatives are contemplated as being within the scope of thefollowing claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming thesubject matter regarded as the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A heatshield mounting arrangement adapted to beused on a &emit having a receiver, a barrel extending forwardly of thereceiver and a mounting tube extending forwardly from the receiverbeneath the barrel, the mounting arrangement comprising: a heatshieldbody having a retaining structure provided thereon, the heatshield bodybeing adapted to overlie the barrel of a firearm; and a forend assemblyincluding a forend body adapted to receive the magazine tube and abracket arrangement constructed to connect the retaining structure ofthe heatshield body to the forend body and adapted to mount theheatshield body along an entire length thereof in a continuous spacedapart relationship over the barrel.
 2. The heatshield mountingarrangement of claim 1, wherein the bracket arrangement is received andretained within the forend body.
 3. The heatshield mounting arrangementof claim 1, wherein the heatshield body extends. upwardly from theforend assembly.
 4. The heatshield mounting arrangement of claim 1,wherein the retaining structure of the heatshield body includes a set ofmounting feet extending from bottom edges of the heatshield body.
 5. Theheatshield mounting arrangement of claim 1, wherein the forend body hasa U-shaped construction, and a length which is shorter than a length ofthe heatshield body.
 6. The heatshield mounting arrangement of claim 1,wherein upper ends of the forend body are constructed with recesses forreceiving the mounting feet of the heatshield body.
 7. The heatshieldmounting arrangement of claim 6, wherein the bracket arrangementincludes a set of spaced apart U-shaped brackets.
 8. The heatshieldmounting arrangement of claim 7, wherein each of the U-shaped bracketshas a bottom wall joined to a lower wall of the forend body and a pairof spaced apart sidewalk extending from the bottom wall.
 9. Theheatshield mounting arrangement of claim 8, wherein a that set offasteners is provided to secure the bottom walls of the U-shapedbrackets to the lower wall of the forend body.
 10. The heatshieldmounting arrangement of claim 8, wherein the sidewalk of the U-shapedbrackets have upper ends provided with throughholes in communicationwith the recesses formed in the upper ends of the forend body.
 11. Theheatshield mounting arrangement of claim 10, wherein a second set offasteners is provided to secure the upper ends of the U-shaped bracketswith the mounting feet of the heatshield body.
 12. The heatshieldmounting arrangement of claim 7, wherein outer surfaces of the U-shapedbrackets are engaged against an inner surface of the forend body.
 13. Aforend assembly adapted to be used in a heatshield mounting arrangementfor mounting a heatshield over a barrel of a firearm, the forendassembly comprising: an elongated U-shaped forend body having a lowerwall and a pair of spaced apart sidewalk rising from the lower wall andprovided with upper ends adapted to be secured to the heatshield; and aU-shaped bracket arrangement received and retained within the forendbody, the U-shaped bracket arrangement having a lower attachment areasecured to the lower wall of the forend body, and an upper attachmentarea aligned with the upper ends of the forend body and adapted to beconnected to the heatshield.
 14. The forend assembly of claim 13,wherein the upper ends of the forend body extend inwardly of thesidewalls.
 15. The forend assembly of claim 13, wherein a first set offasteners is provided to secure the lower attachment area of theU-shaped bracket arrangement to the lower wall of the forend body. 16.The forend assembly of claim 13, wherein a second set of fasteners isreceived in the upper attachment area of the U-shaped bracketarrangement and is adapted to secure the heatshield thereto.
 17. Theforend assembly of claim 13, wherein the U-shaped bracket arrangement isformed by a set of spaced apart U-shaped brackets having outer surfaceswhich are engaged against an inner surface of the forend body.
 18. Amounting arrangement for a firearm having a receiver, a barrel extendingforwardly from the receiver and a magazine tube extending forwardly fromthe receiver beneath the barrel, the mounting arrangement comprising: anelongated heatshield body having a set of mounting feet providedthereon; and a forend assembly including a U-shaped forend body and aU-shaped bracket arrangement received and retained within the forendbody for receiving the magazine tube and connecting the mounting feet tothe forend assembly such that an entire length of the heatshield body ismounted in a continuous spaced floating relationship over the barrel toprevent any contact between the heatshield body and the barrel.
 19. Themounting arrangement of claim 18, wherein a continuous unobstructedspace is defined between the barrel and the heatshield body along theentire length thereof.
 20. The mounting arrangement of claim 18,including a fastener arrangement for securing the U-shaped bracketarrangement within the forend body, and connecting the mounting feet toupper ends of the forend body.